The main axis of the ERDF ROP aims at reinforcing research, technological development and innovation in line with the RIS3, which targets six smart specialisations.

The objective is for the Pays de la Loire to come up to the level of the top regions in France in terms of investments in research and innovation, by the improvement of interactions between training, innovation and research.

Priority axis : Specific objective 1.2 : increase innovative projects for enterprises in the smart specialization sectors

Priority investment : 1.2.1 : support to R&D and innovation collaborative projects 

The current regional policy allowed the emergence of projects and the support to innovation in the agri-food sector. However, most projects are partly focused on the innovation of products or processes.

The Agri-food sector is slowly turning to digital tools but the margins for progress are tremendous, particularly in the collective and collaborative dimension. The management, operation and valorisation of data are playing a key role in development processes. Besides, some startups in our territory are developing solutions in that field. The Region therefore needs to create connections between those economic sectors.

In addition, the regional agri-food strategy adopted in 2016 is based on the inclusion of the consumer needs (conduct of a survey on over 8000 consumers). This new angle could be maintained and strengthened thanks to opportunities offered by digital tools.

In South Ostrabothnia all partners in Food chain are involved in the quality peer to secure the high quality of food ingredients. The bottlenecks of the chain inbetween production, processes, transportation, bargain and consumers are solved using the best avalable communication technology.

The Thematic Objective of the South Ostrobothnian Regional Strategy to be addressed is n.1 (Regenerative Local Industry and Commerce), and particularly Target 2 (Selections of Focus Areas for Commercial and Industrial Life). And the Investment Priority is Creating sustainable and efficient food systems and new bioeconomy solutions (IP 1).

Measure concerned: To strengthen the national and international level of innovation of cluster specialised in food systems. The elements of the sustainable and efficient solutions for food systems involve primary production, agrotechnology and production technology, food processing, logistic and environmental solutions, trade, marketing, consumption and user experience, that is, the whole value chain.

There is a need to find solutions that requires co-operation between the stakeholders from private, public and academic sectors:

 - Strengthen the national and international level innovation of clusters.

- Promote business activities involving users, companies, researchers and public operators.

- Promote the know-how and innovation environments for new sources of growth in the different components of food systems and their interfaces.

The selected policy instrument is the ROP ERDF 2014-2020 of the Emilia-Romagna Region

Priority Axis 1: Research and innovation

Specific Objective 1.2: Strengthening the Regional and National Innovation System. 1.2.1 Actions to support the participation of the regional actors in networking platforms and national networks for technology specialization, such as the National Technology Clusters,  and  in  projects financed with other European programs for R&I.

The Regional High Technology Network is the regional backbone promoting industry-science collaboration and participation of regional enterprises and research system to national platforms and networks. Participation of the network in national and international initiatives will be further strengthened with ASTER and S3 stakeholders involvement in activities such as:

 - identification of scientific and industrial synergies

- promotion of the exchange of skills

- experience and best practices identification

- development of jointly-designed national and international projects

- collaboration between the clusters and national networks actors

- development of new ideas

- sharing of knowledge on emerging technologies

The policy instrument should be improved to achieve a significant number of research projects for the strengthening of best laboratories and to promote innovation-relevant pathways aimed at the competitive strengthening of the agri-food production area identified in S3, with a doubling of public research developed.

General objective of the EDIOP is to increase economic competitiveness and support growth of domestic SMEs, to widen employment by establishing competitive workplaces.

As an ERDF co-financed programme, it supports strategic research and innovation cooperation and initiatives between enterprises and research communities by exploiting synergies and product-service development. This cooperation serves system based research, intelligent manufacturing and sustainable society, especially in research field of agri-innovation with key enabling technologies/solutions relevant for traceabiliy and big data of agrifood enterprises.

EDIOP beneficiaries are innovative, cooperative enterprises, public and nonprofit research bases.

PP5 will address priority n. 2 (Research, technology development and innovation) and measure n. 2 (Supporting R+I cooperation and initiatives)

Investment priority: TO 1 b).

In Hungary agrifood value chain and ICT and digitisation supported individual ecosystems are at a low level and and in need of support. Increase of concerned SMEs economic competitiveness and enhancing their growth could be reached by cooperation with research bases.

Main objective of the above mentioned policy instrument is to create a strong triple helix (research, enterprises and public authorities) innovation eco-system for cooperation and co-investment and to financially support projects and initiatives.

Both the innovation eco-system (R&D labs, field labs, living labs, education, staff, communication) and the SME-projects have to support the S3 strategy of the region and the sectors that were selected.

Thematic priority is TO1 - Research and innovation, particularly the objectives:

* 1B1: Emphasizing and expanding the open innovation system in the South of the Netherlands, creating cross-over innovation between S3 priority sectors, also between national and international clusters, enhancing SME participation.

* 1B2: Strengthening the SME-potential to create added value and provide solutions for societal challenges and to strengthen the priority clusters.

The investment budget consists of EU-funding, cofinanced by Regional Authorities and the National Authority.

The programme supports innovation, the development of new solutions and the implementation / roll out to early adapters of the new solutions.

The ERDF OP South 2014-2020 facilitates good initiatives. But it is not used to steer on significant change and leverage. It is important to exchange best practices EU wide, especially on those issues that on S3 level have been identified as “game changers”, such as agri-digitization so that the impact of the OP grows.

The regional development strategy identifies the goals and priorities for integrated regional development considering the specific features and potentials of the region.

The strategy is a document for regional development mid-term strategic planning of the NUTS3 region. It is drafted and developed in accordance with the Regional Development Plan for the corresponding NUTS2 region. On the other hand, it provides strategic guidance to municipal authorities when they develop their local municipal development plans (NUTS4 level).

Priority concerned is 1. Improve the competitiveness of agricultural production; balanced and multifunctional use of forest resources, introducing cost-efficient and environmental models of production of fresh-water fish and aquaculture and specifically 1.1 Support and incentives for producers’ associations

The Regional Development Strategy (2013) is in a stage for mid-term evaluation. Considering technical progress is going at high speed and traceablity and “big data” in the agro-food sector have been on the European agenda only for the last couple of years, it seems the right moment to plan for innovation through ICT, especially in underpinning already existing priorities for support to agro-food marketing and logistics. RIS 3 can also benefit from the added value of traceablity and “big data” analytics. Such improvements can be introduced in phase 2 in the instrument, during new planning period for the next regional development strategy.